Fax | Complete Guide to Fax

Surprising to most, fax technology was actually invented in 1843 by Alexander Bain. But it wasn’t until 1964 that the first modern fax machine was introduced for commercial use.

As new means of communication and sending documents have emerged, fax still remains one of the most reliable ways to send documents in the business world. In this guide, we’ll cover why fax has stood the test of time, and how it has evolved to remain one of the safest methods of communicating.

There’s no denying the role technology plays in our daily lives. From transportation to communication, it’s nearly impossible to go a full day in the developed world without using technology at least once. While most of us appreciate the convenience, few of us take the time to recognize and protect ourselves from certain security risks that come along with living in the digital age.

If you were to stop a person in the street and ask them to name the most obsolete technology, they’d probably say the pager. But we have a sneaking suspicion that the fax machine would be a close second. The only thing is, those people couldn’t be further from the truth.

We’ll concede that fax machines may not be as popular as other forms of communication, like email or cell phones. However, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t widely used across the globe. In fact, while most people would assume the numbers of faxes being sent has been steadily declining, recent reports show the opposite to be true.

When first introduced, fax technology was a game changer for the healthcare industry. It provided doctors and other healthcare professionals a way to securely exchange sensitive information in real-time. However, in 2009, an investment by the federal government sought to help digitize medical record keeping.

The HITECH Act did successfully incentivise the transition of medical records to digital files. But it fell short when it came to transitioning how patient information was shared between medical organizations.

In a study from 2018, it was found that fax still accounts for nearly 75% of all communication in the medical industry. And there's a good reason for that. There are many health platforms that have entered the market, all with proprietary data formats. Which has made finding a standardized go-between difficult for providers.

Luckily, fax technology has been regulated by HIPAA standards for quite some time. Making it an important part of healthcare communication.

If you’re looking for convenience, it’s hard to argue against email. On the other hand, if you’re looking for security, fax still reigns supreme. Realistically, it makes the most sense for businesses to employ both fax and email for communication. Email because it’s more widely adopted, and fax when you need to send information that is more sensitive in nature.

While fax technology is still thriving across various industries, bulky fax machines are becoming less common in offices. Instead, fax technology has evolved to meet the needs of modern day business. Which means outdated machines have largely been replaced with smartphones, tablets, and computers.

As one of the leaders in the industry, Telnyx has created a programmable fax API that allows you to send faxes from your email.